I spent four years as Forbes' Girl Friday, which to me meant doing a little bit of everything at once. As a member of the Forbes Entrepreneurs team, I looked at booming business and startup life with a female gaze. I worked on the PowerWomen Wealth and Celebrity 100 lists, keeping my ears pricked and pen poised for current event stories--from political sex scandals to celebrity gossip to international affairs. In 2012 I helped to put two South American women on the cover of FORBES Magazine: Modern Family star Sofia Vergara (the top-earning actress on U.S. television) and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who is transforming the BRIC nation into an entrepreneurial powerhouse. Prior to Forbes I was at the Philadelphia CityPaper, where I learned more than any girl ever needs to know about the city's seedier trades. I studied digital journalism at The University of The Arts.
I left Forbes in November, 2013, to pursue other interests on the West Coast.

Michigan legal network 1800LAWFIRM also alleges that Gaga and other companies involved in the sale and marketing of the $5 white and red “We Pray for Japan” wristbands overcharged buyers on shipping costs and “artificially inflated reports of total donations.”

Sticky business for Gaga, who’s been fundraising for Japanese earthquake victims since the March 11 disaster. Charitable concerts, including headlining a benefit show in Tokyo this weekend as well as donations and the sale of bracelets to her Little Monsters have reportedly brought more than $3 million to the cause.

UPDATE: A rep for Lady Gaga sent me the following statement Tuesday night:

“This misguided lawsuit is without merit and unfortunately takes attention away from the kind deeds of the fans around the world who are supporting the people of Japan. The entire $5 donation made with the purchase of each bracelet is going to support the disaster relief. No profit is being made on shipping costs. Sales tax charges were made in accordance with local legal requirements. Lady Gaga has personally pledged her own funds to this cause and continues to support the victims of the disaster.”

Are these indicators that Gaga’s finances are reeling out of control? While FORBES estimated her annual take-home at $90 million on this year’s Celebrity 100 list, the pop star told FT that she “didn’t know!” that her bank account was hitting negative numbers while she continued to write pricey checks on her recent tour.

Perhaps fingers should be pointed at her long-time manager, Troy Carter, who in recent weeks has been profiled by Evelyn Rusli on the NYTimes blog Dealbook for founding a Silicon Valley startup (also backed by Gaga herself), Backplane. After years of focusing on a single artist, his attention has been turned to include Greyson Carter and Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra, and surely the demands of new financiers and developers on the social media venture are taking their toll. Is Gaga relying too heavily on a manager stretched to the limit?

Or perhaps Gaga needs to lady up and be responsible for her own financial future. She’s not alone in her ignorance. Many high-profile women cry they “didn’t know!” when their families fall into bankruptcy. And according to the FINRA Foundation, which studies financial literacy, women are seriously trailing men in their ability to make educated money decisions.

Here’s hoping this as-of-yet unsubstantiated lawsuit passes quietly and it checks Gaga to take control of her own financial future. If there’s one thing that makes for a Power Woman, it’s having a firm hold on the purse strings.

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100% of the proceeds is not the same as 100% of money received. Proceeds implies that expenses have been deducted. This is the same verbiage that has been used by charities for years to describe the use of funds from automobile donations.